It has been long overdue, but the Vietnamese government is finally looking to strengthen its own military capabilities. According to Blog Critics Politics (August 31, 2011), Vietnam has recently acquired a new Gepard class frigate from Russia, with additional orders placed on six new Project 636 Varshavyanka kilo-class submarines. The newly acquired Gepard class warship will be the most capable of Vietnam’s fleet, leading the way for the new development and modernization of Vietnam’s naval forces.

Modernizing the military for the purpose of defending Vietnam’s sovereignty against foreign aggression is a respectable endeavour. The new weapons purchased from Russia will surely add some much needed muscle to the Vietnamese military, but even so, it will be far from enough. Last year, the People’s Republic of China spent about $91.5 billion on their defence budget, investing heavily in their naval capabilities, using advanced nuclear weapons technology. If Hanoi wanted to challenge Beijing, there is still much work that needs to be done. Not only will Vietnam need to order weapons from Russia, but they must look to the United States for support as well.

Currently, the U.S. is prohibited from selling weapons to Vietnam, as part of an arms embargo put in place since 1984. However, there are many in the U.S. who are considering on lifting the ban of selling weapons to Vietnam. However, the Vietnamese government’s constant abuse of human rights and freedoms still provides an obstacle. There are many in the United States who want to help Vietnam, the only thing standing in the way is their dictatorial style of governing. If Vietnam were to take a stand on corruption and human rights, it is certain that the U.S. will support this change with open arms. There is an easy way to push Beijing back, and it’s as easy as playing by the rules.

The Vietnamese government has decided to put the weekly protests in Hanoi to a stop. After 10 weeks of Sunday protests, the Communist Party has finally lost its nerve. As the people in Vietnam prepared for their anti-China demonstration at Hoan Kiem Lake, a large group of both uniformed and plain-clothed police officers were already there waiting for them. The policemen rounded up the protestors just as they were about to begin their patriotic chants, shoving many of them into a large bus that had pulled up to the scene. At least 47 demonstrators were detained as a result, thus signifying that the Communist Party will no longer tolerate peaceful protests in the name of the country.

Prior to the arrests on Sunday, the Communist government in Vietnam had made a public order warning all the participants to stop with the weekly demonstrations. Despite the prohibition announcement, protestors continued to gather at the lake of Hoan Kiem to rally against China’s expansionism in the Southeast Asia Sea. That was then that the Communist Party felt it necessary to stop the protests for good. They have become uneasy and wary of the people’s ongoing activism, fearing that it may turn into a revolutionary force that put their power in jeopardy. As a result, the protests have been stopped for the week, though it is still unclear what will happen next Sunday.

The United States has called for the release of the detainees who took part in the protests, citing basic human rights and freedoms should be respected. Since the arrests on Sunday, 39 of those detained have been released, though several are still held for investigation. The U.S. and Vietnam have strengthened their relations greatly in the last few years, organizing conferences, visits, and military exercises. However, Vietnam’s flagrant violations of human rights and freedoms continue to put a strain on this relationship. The U.S. sees much potential in Vietnam, the strengthening of U.S.-Vietnam relations can bring many benefits to Vietnam, but this can only take place when Vietnam finally respects the basic rights and freedoms that the people deserve.